Our licensed physical therapists are experts in treating you, not just the injury or diagnosis that brought you to AzOPT. Our physical therapy programs are based on restoring function using evidence-based best practice and protocols. These programs are tailored to the individual needs of each patient. Above all, we know how important it is for you to return to the activities, hobbies, and things you need and love to do, without pain and limitations.

AzOPT Treats:

Everyday aches, pains, and related orthopedic conditions are common.  They may result from traumatic injury to the bones, muscles, and joints anywhere in the body or from diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis.  It does not matter if you are a world-class competitive athlete, a weekend warrior, or an everyday functioning person.  Your musculoskeletal system is critical to everything you do.  Yet every year, tens of thousands of people suffer a variety of bone, muscle, and joint injuries while participating in sports and even seemingly harmless hobbies such as gardening and walking.

These injuries and conditions include:

  • Back & neck pain
  • Shoulder injuries (rotator cuff, impingement, frozen shoulder, etc.)
  • Fractures, dislocations, sprains & strains
  • Repetitive-stress injuries
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Torn ligaments & muscles
  • Elbow, wrist & hand pain
  • Knee (ACL, MCL, meniscal & patellofemoral) pains
  • Ankle & foot pain (plantar fasciitis, sprains)
  • Arthritis, bursitis & tendonitis
  • Balance disorders & gait problems
  • Postural problems
  • Chronic pain

We truly care about your safe, rapid recovery.  Our physical therapists have helped thousands of people with all kinds of injuries, aches, and pains.  There’s an excellent chance we can help you, too.  Tell your doctor you prefer the most effective, most personalized, and most compassionate care available.

Tell your doctor you prefer AZOPT!

We hear it all the time – “I’m having surgery anyways.” “I’ll wait until after surgery.” “It hurts to move now so you can’t really help me.” But the truth is, pre-surgical rehabilitation (or pre-hab), can be just as important as surgery.

Physical therapy involving personalized exercise programs before elective surgeries has proven to accelerate recovery times after elective surgeries.  Patients will work to reduce inflammation, improve range of motion, and work on strengthening before surgery, therefore, easing rehabilitation and recovery.

During your pre-hab, an AzOPT physical therapist will assess your body in its pre-surgical state, educate you on surgery expectations, and determine your plan of care leading up to your surgery.  We will also discuss a reasonable timeline for returning to outpatient physical therapy to begin your road to recovery.

Our physical therapists will answer all of your questions, such as:

  • What to expect before and after surgery
  • How therapy can help you prepare for surgery
  • How therapy can help you get back to doing the things you love in life
  • Preparing for your return home
  • Helpful tips for assistive devices

If you are in pain or planning an elective surgery, contact your preferred AzOPT location to schedule a pre-hab evaluation, and find out how physical therapy can help you achieve your goals.

We hear it all the time – “I’m having surgery anyways.” “I’ll wait until after surgery.” “It hurts to move now so you can’t really help me.” But the truth is, pre-surgical rehabilitation (or pre-hab), can be just as important as surgery.

Physical therapy involving personalized exercise programs before elective surgeries has proven to accelerate recovery times after elective surgeries.  Patients will work to reduce inflammation, improve range of motion, and work on strengthening before surgery, therefore, easing rehabilitation and recovery.

During your pre-hab, an AzOPT physical therapist will assess your body in its pre-surgical state, educate you on surgery expectations, and determine your plan of care leading up to your surgery.  We will also discuss a reasonable timeline for returning to outpatient physical therapy to begin your road to recovery.

When you have pain and immobility following surgery, you need help regaining your freedom of movement without pain.

At AzOPT, our skilled, highly credentialed physical therapists help by restoring strength and motion to your muscles, joints, and everyday life.  We use comprehensive hands-on manual therapy techniques and proven treatments to treat pain and lost function caused by joint replacement surgery, knee ACL reconstruction, or shoulder rotator cuff repair, to name just a few.

Because no two patients are the same, your specific post-surgical rehabilitation program is based on a thorough evaluation that gives us a complete understanding of your pain and any functional difficulties you are experiencing.

Doctors send their toughest cases to AzOPT because they know we get exceptional results faster than most other physical therapists.  Our therapists’ advanced training and certifications mean they can help with all kinds of orthopedic (muscles, bones, and joints) problems.  Our manual therapy techniques restore function and reduce pain.

Do you have a surgery scheduled? We can schedule your post-surgical evaluation prior to your surgery so we can treat you as soon as you’re ready at your preferred AzOPT location.

Physical therapy plays a key role in the rehabilitation of people who have received total joint replacements of the knee, hip, or shoulder.  Physical therapy after joint replacement surgery helps restore your range of motion, strength, mobility, flexibility, endurance, self-care skills, and the ability to return to prior activities.  Our physical therapists provide you with the education needed to walk and climb stairs, get in and out of a chair or car, tie your shoes, and other daily activities.  Assistive devices such as canes and walkers are also common with joint replacement surgery, and AzOPT therapists can identify the correct device to meet your specific needs.

While joint replacement surgery has become a common procedure with a high success rate, most of your success lies within your hard work and dedication following surgery.  Your surgery is the easy part compared to the physical therapy that will follow. Prior to any joint replacement surgery, we also encourage our patients to attend “pre-hab” physical therapy.

Our patients report great success with AzOPT because our therapists understand and are committed to your personal rehabilitation.  Get the most out of your joint replacement surgery by trusting AzOPT with your recovery.

AZOPT therapists are athletes, runners, cross-trainers, weight lifters, softball players, golfers, hikers, CrossFitters, and more. Our experts’ unique perspective helps us understand the demands athletes place on their bodies while training and competing. Through the AzOPT Movement Assessment, we strive to prevent injuries by identifying pain, limitations, and dysfunctions that may lead to future concerns or affect your success. However, injuries do happen.

Whether the young athlete, the weekend warrior, the serious competitor, or the active adult – you deserve physical therapists who understand the demands of your sport. We’ll develop a comprehensive, personalized plan to treat the injury and address stabilizing muscles that will prevent future injuries. We work with coaches, athletic trainers, and schools to ensure our athletes return to sport as quickly and safely as possible with minimal risk for re-injury.

Balance disorders may be caused by a number of factors, including medications, diseases, poor muscle tone, lack of activity, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).  Physical therapy exercises can help increase balance, coordination, strength, and stability.  Exercises may include hand-eye coordination, range of motion exercises that help with proprioception (the ability to know where your body is in space) to adapt to changing positions, strengthening and flexibility training.

Balance is having the correct muscles fire at the correct time and magnitude to counteract the forces of gravity or perturbations.  We have three systems we use for balance: the eyes, proprioception (the ability to feel where we are in space), and the vestibular system.  When all three of these systems are working correctly we have a very good balance.  When one of the systems is taken away or altered, we must rely on the other systems to overcome the lacking system to maintain balance.

The emphasis of the health sciences on fitness and wellness has brought to women’s attention a need to pay closer attention to their bodies during recreation, work, and throughout life.  Our physical therapists have successful experience treating women with a variety of medical conditions.  Our therapists use every facet of their physical therapy training to evaluate and treat female clients, promoting and enhancing health through the life span.  All treatments are individually designed after thorough evaluation.

Examples of women’s issues we treat include:

  • Pre/postnatal Care
  • Helping moms maintain the strength, endurance, and flexibility needed as they prepare and care for their new baby.
  • Pregnancy Back Pain
  • Instruction in proper stretching and stabilization exercises to assist in decreasing the stress on the lower back as your body changes throughout pregnancy with the use of hands-on treatment to decrease pain and alleviate symptoms of back pain.
  • Postural Education (pre/postnatal)
  • Assistance in proper postures for breastfeeding, holding, carrying, and lifting your child and all their equipment, to decrease the strain on your back and neck as well as help restore strength to the muscles that stabilize the spine.
  • Hands-on treatment will help to stretch tight muscles and ease pain associated with poor posture.
  • Osteoporosis
  • Instruction in correct and safe exercises to improve balance, strength, and function in order to decrease the occurrence of falls.
  • Manual therapy will decrease pain and relieve tightness.
  • Education in postural exercises and instruction in exercises you can perform safely at home.

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized form of treatment for pain, weakness, and/or dysfunction associated with the muscles, nerves, connective tissue and skeletal structures in and around the pelvis. Our women’s health pelvic floor specialists are dedicated to improving the quality of life for women – from orthopedic injuries to mothers needing prenatal and postpartum care to women experiencing health conditions specific to a woman. A whole-body evaluation will be performed, including the pelvic floor, to address all your needs to help you return to the activities you need and love to do at your best!

Currently, women’s pelvic floor therapy is being offered exclusively at our Buckeye physical therapy clinic by Genevieve Afan, PT, DPT.

Conditions our women’s health experts can treat include but are not limited to:

  • Pelvic Pain
  • Hip Pain
  • Urinary Incontinence / Overactive Bladder
  • Labor/Delivery Preparation
  • Postpartum Recovery
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  • Dyspareunia

Parkinson’s disease is an incurable, progressive disorder of the nervous system that gradually affects movement. In the United States, Parkinson’s disease occurs in 13 per 100,000 people, and about 60,000 new cases are identified each year.

If you, or someone you know, have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, AzOPT can help you gain your “life back”. The benefits of physical therapy at any stage of the diagnosis are effective, but especially at the beginning. An evaluation can be scheduled to determine the benefits of a personalized plan of care.

Physical therapists are trained professionals who have studied and practiced to help all kinds of clients, from healthy athletes to people struggling to live with cancer. For someone living with cancer, life can become challenging. Patients struggle with pain, fatigue, and a decrease in activity that can make symptoms worse and life less enjoyable. Working with a physical therapist can provide these patients with a number of benefits:

Minimize treatment side effects

The side effects of cancer treatment can be uncomfortable, painful, and for many people, severe. Researchers have found that being physically active with the guidance of a physical therapist can help cancer patients experience minimized side effects from treatment, particularly pain. Physical therapy may be especially helpful in reducing or preventing discomfort and lack of mobility after a surgical procedure.

Increase mobility

Greater mobility is one of the most important things a physical therapist can do for a cancer patient. Using guided exercises, stretches, and other modalities, a physical therapist can help a patient move more easily and with less pain. This opens up a whole world of opportunities for the patient from simply being able to perform daily tasks like bathing and cooking to being able to go out to be more active and socialize with friends. Mobility has a profound impact on patients, negative when mobility is limited and positive when it is restored.

Improve overall physical fitness

With limited mobility, pain, and fatigue, being physically active is a big challenge for cancer patients. Being active is important though because maintaining fitness while sick helps patients feel better and recover better. It even helps improve outcomes. Studies have proven that when cancer patients are physically active, mortality rates go down. A physical therapist has an important role to play in helping patients get more active and physically fit. They help patients learn and perform exercises that are adapted for their specific needs and limitations.

Fight fatigue

Fatigue is a major issue for most cancer patients. The cancer itself causes fatigue, but this is also a common side effect of chemotherapy. Being more active, although it seems counterintuitive, is one of the best ways to fight fatigue. Patients will feel more energized when they participate in physical therapy sessions.

Improve mood and quality of life

Working with a physical therapist is a great way to battle the anxiety, depression, and stress that often accompany life with cancer. Physical activity is proven to boost mood and reduce stress, but the specific benefits of physical therapy, like pain and fatigue reduction and increased mobility, also help to improve mood. Together all of these benefits help a patient with cancer enjoy a better quality of life.

There are many good reasons why working with a physical therapist is an important strategy in the overall care of a patient with cancer. The benefits range from reducing side effects of treatment to increasing energy and helping patients get more active and physically fit. If you, or someone you know, have been diagnosed with cancer, AZOPT can help you gain your “life back”.

No one expects to get in an accident, and most people are not financially prepared or covered when one occurs.  Lawsuits arising from a motor vehicle accident can sometimes take years to settle.  Oftentimes, the financial implications of a motor vehicle accident can be frightening and deter someone from receiving the proper medical care they desperately need.

At AzOPT, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to Feel Better, Function Better, and Live Better.  We believe the priority should be helping you return to your normal daily activities without pain.  This is why we work with attorneys and patients alike to accept medical liens or health insurance while the matter is being settled.  Additionally, our patients have the option to use a medical lien for their portion of deductibles and co-pays when using their health insurance.

Feel Better. Function Better. Live Better.

For more information about our services, or to schedule an appointment,
call our office at (623) 242-6908 or request an appointment online today.